Practice Makes Perfect
by nanniships
Summary: A tumblr Chelsie wedding day drabble featuring a friendly wager


Practice Makes Perfect

"How much?"

"Half a crown?"

"Go on then…"

Mr. Molesley looked curiously over at Mr. Barrow and Andrew, who were deep in low voiced conversation. Their smirks made him nervous. He fiddled with his boutonniere and sidled over next to them.

"Full out failure, mind," Andy was saying, "or it doesn't count."

"Fair enough," muttered, craving a cigarette desperately.

"Erm…got a bet on?" Mr. Molesley asked.

Mr. Barrow glared at him a moment, then looked at Andrew with a raised eyebrow.

"Why not?" Andrew responded to the unspoken question. "Makes the pool larger."

"Alright," Mr. Barrow agreed, looking speculatively at Mr. Molesley. "We're taking bets on the wedding service."

"The wedding service?" Mr. Molesley asked, a bit too loudly.

Andrew shushed him, looking quickly around to make sure they weren't drawing unwanted attention. "Yeah," he said in a near whisper. "Mr. Barrow is betting Mr. Carson won't kiss her at all…"

Mr. Molesley's eyebrows flew up and he looked at in disbelief.

"Yeah, and Andy here is banking on him giving it a go, but messing it up," Mr. Barrow finished with a smirk.

Mr. Molesley gaped at them both. "I can't believe you're even THINKING about it," he stated, working himself up into affronted dignity, "much less that you'd lay MONEY on it."

Andrew had the grace to look a bit ashamed. But Mr. Barrow just rolled his eyes, unimpressed.

"Count you out then?" he asked Mr. Molesley dismissively.

Mr. Molesely opened his mouth angrily to confirm, then stopped as his mind flew back two nights previously…

_He snuck cautiously into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of milk to help his heartburn. As he rummaged through the tin, hoping to find a ginger biscuit to settle his stomach, he heard the low voices of Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes coming from her sitting room. The door was open just a crack, and he was thankful he had managed to avoid detection thus far. In the deep silence of the night, he could hear their muffled conversation._

_"__Two more days," Mr. Carson said._

_"__Two more days and one circus," Mrs. Hughes commented with a bit of snap in her tone._

_"__Elsie…" _

_"__Oh, I know it's not your fault, Charles. Once the family and Mrs. Patmore got the bit between their teeth, there wasn't any stopping them…"_

_Mr. Molesley stuffed a biscuit into his mouth and sat his glass down next to the sink. He didn't dare wash it, fearing the noise would bring his superiors down on him. He was about to tiptoe back out through the servant's hall when their conversation became audible again._

_"__All those people, watching us get married," Mr. Carson mused. "Why, I'm not sure if I've still got it in me to perform for that sort of audience."_

_"__Perform? What in heaven's name do ye think we'll be DOING up at that altar, Charles Carson?"_

_Mr. Carson's deep chuckle echoed through the dark corridor, and Mr. Molesley dug into his ear with his fingertip, uncertain if he'd just…heard what he thought he'd heard._

_"__It'll just be the opening act, my dear," Mr. Carson replied in a low and distinctly husky voice. "But it'll be the only act we do for an audience."_

_Mr. Molseley stood with his mouth hanging open as Mrs. Hughes giggled- actually GIGGLED- and wished his feet didn't seem to be nailed to the floor._

_"__I should think so," she said. "And I've every confidence you'll do just fine. We've practiced, after all…"_

_"__Your confidence in me is all I'll need, Elsie."_

_"__I'm well aware of what you're capable of, Charles—"_

_Mrs. Hughes' voice was muffled suddenly. The door to her sitting room was abruptly shut with some force, making Mr. Molesley jump and let out a rather undignified squeak. Fortunately, his superiors seemed to be too preoccupied to hear him, if the further noises from behind the door were any indication._

_His heart beating like he'd run a mile, Mr. Molesley made his way back up the stairs to his room. As he lay stiffly on his thin, hard mattress, he tried desperately to forget that he'd ever left it to wander the downstairs after hours…_

Mr. Barrow and Andrew watched Mr. Molesley curiously as he grimaced and shook his head. When he opened his eyes and stared back at them, there was something…different in his eyes.

"On second thoughts, Mr. Barrow, count me in. I'll bet that Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes show you a thing or two." He smiled as they looked at each other, then back at him suspiciously. "Half a crown, was it?"

Voices were calling them into the church, and they filed in to find their places in the pews. Mr. Molesley looked carefully at Mr. Carson, who looked much as he usually did, but with perhaps a bit of sparkle in his eye.

When the service concluded the traditional way, and Mr. Carson practically lifted the now Mrs. Carson from the floor to kiss her deeply and thoroughly, the congregation was stunned into silence for a moment. Then applause broke out as the couple turned to face them, but with eyes only for each other.

Mr. Molesley clapped until he felt like his hands might fall off. Casting a glance at a shocked Andrew and a scowling Mr. Barrow, he smiled triumphantly.

"What's that all about?" Miss Baxter asked him, after he collected his winnings and was tossing two half crowns in his hand.

"That's about practice making perfect, Miss Baxter," he replied cheerfully. Smiling into her confused face, he offered her his arm. "I'll tell you later…"


End file.
